holygroundexplorations.comDanStolebargerHolyGroundExplorations

Report from JERUSALEM

NEVERFORGET!

HEADLINESIn response to a reporter’s question, Mattis said the US remains watchful in assessing Iran’s regional belligerence and influence, including its support for the Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon and its “thousands of fighters” in Syria helping President Bashar Assad stay in power. “Everywhere you look, if there’s trouble in the region, you find Iran.”

Fatah leader: Fatah and Hamas agree Israel has no right to exist Hamas leader: "Our principles say that our land is all of Palestine, including the land that is under occupation (i.e., Israel)

An Iranian panel on Thursday approved the country’s incumbent president and five challengers, but disqualified former hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from running in next month’s presidential election.

An Israeli Air Force (IAF) strike last month destroyed approximately 100 Syrian missiles, many of which were believed to be headed to the Lebanese terrorist organization Hezbollah, a senior Israeli officer said Tuesday.While the existence of March’s Israeli strike was already known, multiple Israeli media outlets’ publication of the officer’s comments marked the first details to emerge about the strike’s impact on Syria. The officer did not elaborate on the type of missiles destroyed.

YOMHaSHOAH“If the powers in 1942 had acted…, they could have saved 4 million Jews and millions of other people,” Netanyahu stated at the official Holocaust Memorial Day ceremony at Yad Vashem.

In his address Sunday evening at the official state ceremony marking the start of the Holocaust Memorial Day at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decried the inaction of the Allies during the Holocaust and their failure to save the Jews.

Referring to newly released UN documents showing that the Allies understood the dire situation of Europe’s Jews already in 1942, Netanyahu stressed the importance of a strong Jewish state.

QUNEITRAUPDATEArab media outlets reported Sunday that Israeli fighter jets bombed a militia base northeast of Quneitra, near the Israel-Syria border.

Qatari news network Al Jazeera reported that Israeli Air Force jets targeted the Nabe' al-Fawar base in the outskirts of Quneitra. The base is reportedly used by the so-called "homeland protection" militia. The Hezbollah-affiliated Al Mayadeen television network reported that three people were killed and several others were wounded, saying the base sustained massive damage in the strike.

IDF Retaliates Against Syrian Targets The Israeli military said on Friday that it had hit targets in Syria in response to three projectiles that landed in the Israeli Golan Heights earlier, in what the army said was likely stray fire from Syria’s civil war. (Zero tolerance to 'mistakes'!)

MARCHOFTHELIVING

March of the Living -- Today on Yom Hashoah, the March of the Living is commencing in Poland with over 10,000 participants from 30 countries. Over 250,000 students, survivors, and educators have participated in March of the Living to Poland and Israel since its inception in 1988. This year's international march from Auschwitz to Birkenau is being dedicated to the memory of Joseph Wilf who passed away this past summer. Joe was the founding North American President of the March and, we're told, always had a great pride in being part of its creation and watching its tremendous growth over the years. [MOTL] 

WHITEHOUSEPRAYERMEETING

Since the beginning of the White House transition, members of President Trump’s cabinet have been gathering for weekly prayer sessions led by Capitol Ministries Pastor Ralph Drollinger. Though religion has always been part of the White House, these sessions include an impressive number of the highest-ranking members of the Trump Administration. As an outside group, the Capitol Ministry sessions, which are closed, must be sponsored by someone in the government in order to hold meetings in a Congressional building. In the White House, they are currently sponsored by no less than eight politicians: Vice President Mike Pence; Secretaries Betsy DeVos, Ben Carson, Sonny Perdue, Rick Perry, Tom Price and Jeff Sessions; EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt and CIA Director Mike Pompeo. Former US Rep. Michelle Bachmann (Rep-Minnesota) serves on the board.

TRUMPTOVISITISRAEL

US President Donald Trump will reverse longstanding US policy by officially recognizing the entire city of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, but will not implement his election campaign pledge to relocate the American embassy from Tel Aviv, the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported Thursday. There was no confirmation of the report.

According to the paper, Israel’s biggest selling daily, Trump will make the announcement during his upcoming visit to Israel, reportedly in late May — a trip the White House has confirmed it is “exploring.” He is also expected to express support for the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, the paper said.

Worth noting: Yom Yerushalayim, Jerusalem Day is on May 23rd and June 1st is the deadline for the waiver on moving the Embassy to Jerusalem...

TRUMP’SVISITEXPANDS"Tillerson, Haley and Friedman to join Trump's Israel visit" by Itamar Eichner: "The Trump administration reported Wednesday that the US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will accompany the president on his upcoming visit to Israel... Also joining President Trump on his visit... will be the new US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman. Friedman is scheduled to arrive on May 15 and will submit his credentials to President Reuven Rivlin a month later. Almost immediately after his arrival in Israel, Friedman will begin arranging plans for his boss in the White House." [Ynet]

DIDYOUKNOW?“Anti-Semitic incidents rose a whopping 86% in the first 3 months of 2017” by Doug Criss and Carma Hassan: “The report, released Monday by Anti-Defamation League, counted 541 anti-Semitic attacks and threats between January and March. There were 281 incidents in the same time period in 2016.” [CNN]

'Explosive' Cancer Medicine Two sisters tried to smuggle explosives into Israel from Gaza using tubes labeled for medication. Shin Bet says that the pair was arrested at a crossing – they took advantage of a permit for medical treatment to try to aid in planned terror attacks.

PA cuts salaries to Gaza workers,  but not to terrorist prisoners. With deepening economic crisis, PA government cuts salaries to productive workers in Gaza but not to non-productive terrorists in prison PLO Director of Prisoners' Affairs: "The cuts approved by the [PA] Palestinian government to the salaries of the state employees in Gaza will not harm the released prisoners or the prisoners in the Israeli occupation's prisons"

QUOTESOFTHEWEEK“Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.” - Albert Einstein

“While most Muslims are not terrorists, most terrorists are Muslims and many millions of radical Islamists support them.”

“What hurts the victim more is not the cruelty of the oppressor but the silence of the bystander.” Let us not forget, after all, there is aways a moment when moral choice is made … Elie Wiesel

Refuse to believe in the invincibility of evil

Israel - Off The Beaten Path with Petra Extension (optional)

Israel - NOV 12-20 / Petra - Nov 20-24, 2017

Thus says the LORD: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls… Jer. 6:16

There%are%many%paths%in%Israel.%%OFF%THE%BEATEN%PATH%will%take%in%paths%not%found%on%“traditional”%tours%–%yet%they%are%important%paths,%ones%that%should%be%seen%to%take%in%the%full%breadth%of%Israel.%%Join%Dan%&%Sharon%Stolebarger%and%guide,%Jane%BenIAri%as%we%give%you%a%totally%different%type%of%experience.%%Included%will%be%a%geoIpolitical%Jeep%Tour%on%the%Golan%Heights%–%see%for%yourselves%what%is%truly%happening%along%this%strategic%border%of%Israel.%

OFF THE BEATEN PATH ITINERARY

DAY$1:$%Overnight%in%Tel%Aviv%%right%on%the%Mediterranean%Sea.%

DAY$2$($4:%%Travel%to%Jerusalem%where%we%will%be%staying%inside%the%walls%of%the%Old%City%for%three%nights.%%While%in%Jerusalem,%visit%OLD$SYNAGOGUE$TOUR,$RABBINICAL$TUNNELS,$TEMPLE$INSTITUTE,$BURNT$HOUSE,$JERICHO$with$ST.$GEORGE’S$MONASTERY$and$FRIENDS$OF$ZION$MUSEUM.%%Also%planned%is%an%incredible%landscape%of%the%Judean%desert%on%a%fully%guided%JEEP$TOUR.$%%%

DAY$5$–$7:%%Travel%to%the%Galilee%where%we%will%stay%for%three%nights%at%a%kibbutz%hotel%right%on%the%shores%of%the%Sea,%away%from%the%hustle%and%bustle%of%Tiberias.%%Our%time%in%the%north%includes:%%TSIPORI,$NAZARETH$VILLAGE,$CHURCH$OF$THE$ANNUNCIATION,$MT.$ARBEL%(with%an%option%to%hike%up),%MAGDALA,$GAMLA$(with%hike%to%the%synagogue)%and%MT.$BENTAL.%%On%Shabbat,%we%will%have%a%Shabbat%Service%at%our%hotel.%%In%addition,%while%in%the%Golan%Heights,%we%will%take%a%geoIpolitical%JEEP$TOUR$to%hear%and%see%for%ourselves%exactly%what%is%happening%on%this%strategic%border.%

DAY$8:%%We%travel%to%JAFFA%for%one%night.%%En%route,%visit%the%grottoes%at%ROSH$HANIKRA%and%the%VALLEY$OF$ELAH.%

DAY$9:%%Before%bidding%farewell%to%Israel,%we%will%enjoy%a%leisurely%morning,%a%tour%of%JAFFA,%as%well%as%a%FAREWELL%DINNER.%%Those%departing%will%be%taken%to%the%airport.%

BEATEN PATH INCLUSIONS:

Pricing:%%$2995%LAND%ONLY%per%person%double%occupancy%

PACKAGE$INCLUDES:$

ϖ Hotels:%%1%night%Tel%Aviv,%3%nights%Jerusalem,%3%nights%Tiberias,%1%night%Jaffa%

ϖ Meals:%%Breakfast%daily,%4%Lunches,%5%Dinners%ϖ %All%Sightseeing%and%Entrance%Fees%including%two%JEEP%

TOURS%ϖ Gratuities%for%Guide%and%Driver%ϖ Baggage%handling%for%one%piece%of%checked%luggage%per%

person%ϖ All%ground%transportation%

See%Registration%Form%for%complete%pricing%and%the%Terms%&%Conditions%for%the%“aine%print.”%

HGE-UPCOMINGFALLTOURS

PETRA EXTENSION (optional):  Nov. 21-24, 2017  (1 night Jaffa; 2 nights Eilat, 1 night Petra)*

Israel is the land where it all began and PETRA just may be the land where the "end" may be centered.  It's one thing to see all the sites where prophecy has taken place and has been fulfilled, but then there are the places where the fulfillment is yet to come.  During the Tribulation period, God will provide a refuge for His people...many believe that Petra is that place. 

Also included is a visit to the replica TABERNACLE at TIMNA where you will learn more in 30 minutes about the Tabernacle than you probably have learned in a decade.  All this plus the resort city at the southernmost tip of Israel, EILAT, where at night you can see the lights of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel and Egypt, all at the same time.  Add to this an overnight in Petra where our hotel is located right across the street from the entrance.  This extension is not often offered so take advantage of this departure date.

*NOTE:  Those staying on for Petra will spend Nov. 20th in Jaffa before beginning the Petra extension on Nov. 21st.

For complete brochure information:http://holygroundexplorations.com/israel-tours/israel-off-the-beaten-path-tour-petra-extension/

HGE

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Email - dan@hgkfir.com